


Begin Again

by Subdora



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Not Beta Read, Post-War, both of them probably lost their mind at some point and don't realize it, budding friendship, i am no good at tagging i guess, infinite just wants to rattle his cup against the prison bars and howl til the sun rises, shadow shows empathy, these boys will work things out bc i said so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26476306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subdora/pseuds/Subdora
Summary: Infinite has been taken into custody. Why is he being kept alive? Shadow's had a nagging feeling and unclear questions long since before the war ended.
Relationships: Infinite & Shadow the Hedgehog, Infinite/Shadow the Hedgehog
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	Begin Again

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno if this has been done before, but i really just neeeeed shadow to patch things up with this broken jackal. Like at least just make amends. They both have roller coasters of a past and i just think they could maybe bond over it or something

He wanted to say his holding cell was cold and dank, for dramatic effect. But who was he even narrating to? It was solitary confinement, and he wasn’t even succeeding at impressing himself. Infinite’s living conditions were surprisingly hospitable given his transgressions, and he didn’t bother to question it any time an unknown mobian stopped by to exchange food trays and toiletries. He used to snarl and snap his teeth at anyone who delivered goods through the reinforced flap - it held no effect and he eventually began to feel like a fool for bothering with such a _weak_ intimidation tactic. He was battered, in mind and body, with nothing to his title. Some had even had the gall to laugh at him, which he’d eventually come to see why himself.

_Shouldn’t they just send me off to another plane of oblivion or something? If they’re keeping me in the dark here to mess with me, it’s working._

The former villain wasn’t sure how much time had passed since the end of his dissatisfyingly short reigning era. He stood up with his cup and began rattling it along the heavily reinforced window, because his cell wasn’t a stereotypical barred enclosure. The cup flew out of his hand when the door slamming open had him jolting just moments after he’d started the racket. It was the first time anyone had actually _opened_ it, and he was loath to admit to himself his mild enthusiasm for interaction. Prior to his time served under Eggman, he’d been used to constant socializing amongst his squad, even if his stand-offish nature told otherwise. However, that enthusiasm was rescinded the moment he processed just who it was that would break his solitude.

“Is what little sanity you have left finally slipping away?”

The ebony hedgehog - _the very being who had taken everything away from him_ \- stood almost too casually at the doorway. Infinite let out an instinctive hiss as he backed away.

“Why are _you_ here. Is this what all my time alone was meant to be led up to? Death by _ultimate lifeform_?”

A scoff and mild shake of the head.

“We have been feeding you for months. If we’d planned to off you, do you not think that would have been a waste of resources? They’re scarce as it stands.”

The corners of Infinite’s lips rose in a snarl and his nose crinkled in aggression, but both ebony mobians knew that he’d long since run out of fight.

“Oh, excellent- I’m a guinea pig then.”

The former villain only had to blink before he was shackled with regular handcuffs. Out of spite, he clanged the chain links around in aggravation.

“You don’t gotta worry about powers so I get the Joe Blow cuffs, huh? Mock me all you’d li-”

“I understand that the lack of mobian interaction has you even more unhinged than usual… but _shut up._ Just for a bit.”

Infinite’s sleep schedule had steadily become diurnal as time had passed, meaning he was too tired to really put up much more of a show for the moment. He dragged along behind the hedgehog, not even bothering to look up at the parts of the resistance base that he had only seen once months prior. It wasn’t long before he was brought into a small room, and settled onto a sofa. Shadow locked the door and unlocked the handcuffs, prompting the jackal to subconsciously dig his claws into the spongy material beneath him - it was a lot softer than the cot in his cell. When the red-striped hedgehog sat down on the sofa across from him, he tensed, eyes darting around the room for an escape. Could he flip the coffee table - the only thing standing between them - and barge the door down? Fingers began picking at the sofa in trepidation.

“Stop that. We don’t exactly have the rings to replace furniture at the moment.”

He froze, not having realized he’d been picking at it in the first place. There was nothing for him to do except sit there and take whatever torture that that menace felt he wanted to dole out. Shadow slouched, resting his elbows on his knees, looking to be in deep thought.

“It was mostly Sonic and myself that had vouched to keep you alive and well. During the war, many of us would go through the comm system’s recordings. The ones where you intercepted them to deliver your villainous messages, in particular.” Ruby irises stared at an indiscriminate spot on the battered coffee table. “My memory is utter trash. I forgot that you’d referenced our acquaintanceship prior to the war almost immediately afterward, until I came across the recording. Where did we know each other from?”

Every joint in Infinite’s fingers cracked as he struggled to stamp down the emotions he’d been repressing. Once he was sure that his voice wouldn’t come out shakey, he responded in a demure tone, almost hushed.

“You keep me alive for such a trivial matter?”

Shadow studied the jackal before him: his posture, voice, and barrage of sweat radiating off his core.

“It is obviously not trivial if you felt it significant enough to mention during the peak of war. You’re barely keeping yourself together right now. I can give you some time if you need it.”

“... eat shit. Do your brain cells only know how to fight and fuck? You just weren’t programmed with anything beyond basal animalistic tendencies? How the fuck do you just _forget_ obliterating a pack of jackals like they were cattle at a butchery? Killing must be as easy for you as it is for mobians to breathe!”

That had successfully managed to catch the hedgehog off-guard. He sat upright, features contorted in perplexion. Infinite was practically foaming at the mouth, but he hadn’t much trouble holding himself back.

“It’s called amnesia; so _yes_ , I do just ‘forget’ a lot of things on a day-to-day basis. I wouldn’t sit you down and ask if it were not the case. You know I was biologically engineered, but you don’t seem to know much more than that, so our pre-war encounter was likely a one-off, was it not?”

_Amnesia, my ass. He’s either an asshole or a complete idiot. Likely both._

He hadn’t acknowledged the deaths of his squadmates. As far as the former mercenary was concerned, he had nothing more to say if the hedgehog was truly that slow to process things.

“You’ve got a grudge against me specifically, which I had just found hard to believe when I had no idea who you were at the time. Something about how you started the war because of me? Or became what you were? Tell me more of the event which caused the grudge.”

A low growl, and more silence from the jackal. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else he could skulk off to, as opposed to being stuck in the room with the one who’d ruined his life.

“I suppose you really are just this stupid. Fine,” he slouched in defeat, “Mystic Ruins, a little over a year ago. Eggman had just hired my squad for guard work. Your _biologically engineered_ ass waltzed in and killed them all! The end. You really know how to make someone feel like a background character in their own life. If I hadn’t vented some of my rage out as Infinite, I would be constricting your windpipe right now.”

Shadow’s eyes narrowed pensively. 

“... Chaos. The ones with headbands and other odd dressing manners?”

“Oh yes so you do remember! Convenient! Do you remember bathing in their blood as you cackled like the monster you are?!”

“You’re describing yourself, I did no such thing. All this time you’ve made me feel like my amnesia was worse than it was - I even requested extensive electroencephalography testing in the recent months to make sure I wasn’t legitimately going senile. Those jackals are **not** dead, did you even think to stick around and see for yourself you aggressive mongrel?”

Infinite choked on his own saliva in surprise.

“You don’t understand the gravity of false hope; I don’t know what you think you’ll gain by this deception.”

“You can keep portraying me as a monster all you’d like, but I’ve had loved ones taken from me as well.”

“... Eggman had me under a strict regimen after you’d left, which prompted me to take on the phantom ruby fusion in order to compensate for my _weakness_ as quickly as possible.”

“Hmm… one of our teams had been sent to the Mystic Ruins not too long after I’d been there, just to make sure everything had been taken care of. Your friends were brought to this base before relocation to Empire City; I’m not sure if they’re still there, but unless your own path of destruction brought upon their demise, then they should still be thriving. The damage you did there was a lot less severe than around these parts.”

His claws had resumed their nervous sofa-picking, and his fur was frayed from the emotional overhaul. Was he being played for a fool for some ulterior motive he had yet to see? He was struggling not to internally burst, even despite his ability to mask emotions during the time he’d masked his face.

“I can even provide you with proof; everyone who has been in this base has a file. Can I trust that you won’t maul me or any passers-by?”

A bob of the head was as good as Shadow was going to get. He unlocked the door and made his way to the computer room. They ended up in the locker room, and then the barracks, before the hedgehog finally ended up at his intended destination. To say Infinite’s nerves were worn down was an understatement.

“That wasn’t intentional. I always forget where the computer room is.”

He unlocked the door and began digging through cabinets, before eventually pulling out multiple files and laying them on a table. With shaky hands, Infinite opened them and absorbed the data like a dry sponge, eyes glossy with the detailed information of his squad mates. His wavering voice revealed just how close to tearing up he was.

“I couldn’t see a way for this to be falsified…”

Shadow was silent as he allowed the apprehended villain time to mull over the information. It was hard to believe that it was the same maniac that had done so much damage.

“I could have handled things differently back in the Mystic Ruins. I attacked them the same way I do the doctor’s badniks, which left them in poor states. Look… there are a lot of hoops I will have to jump through, but between Sonic and I, there is a high probability that we could have you granted amnesty. Then you’d be free to reunite with your comrades.”

Infinite whirled around at the unexpectedly selfless offer.

“What’s in it for you and why would you care to let someone who’s probably killed more than you go free?”

“Clearly you have lived fairly far removed from society prior to all of this, but I’ve been in your shoes, believe it or not. Twice, actually. It doesn’t have to end the way you think it will.”

The jackal raised a brow ridge, before cracking the faintest of smirks.

“... Then may you also reunite with your loved ones someday.”

“Yes. Someday I will. For now, the ones I’ve since fostered here make life worth living…”

**Author's Note:**

> I took the title from a song/phrase in the DLC Dead Money for Fallout NV, it is still my fave of them all


End file.
